The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today [Thursday 24th March] published his new plan for policing in London over the next three years.
Following consultation with nearly 4,000 Londoners, victims of crime, community groups, businesses and others, the Mayor’s Police and Crime Plan sets out the key priorities and objectives for policing, which will help to make London safer - and feel safer - for all Londoners.
The plan includes four key priorities:
- Reducing and preventing violence in all its forms continues to be the Mayor’s number one priority. Violent crime in London started to fall before the pandemic and has continued to fall over the past year. Overall, knife crime with injury involving under 25s in 2021 was down by 26 per cent since 2016. But the Mayor is clear there is still much more work to do. The new plan sets out how he will continue to be both tough on crime and tough on the complex causes of crime. As well as continuing to prioritise investment in frontline policing to ensure police officers have the resources they need to suppress violence, Sadiq will continue to fund programmes through London’s Violence Reduction Unit to address the factors which increase the likelihood of someone becoming involved in, or a victim of, violence. This includes deep-rooted social and economic issues, such as poverty, inequality, high unemployment, school exclusions, poor mental health and a lack of youth services. The plan also includes measures to strengthen the response to the drugs trade - a key driver of violence and other crimes in London.
- The plan sets out the Mayor’s determination to drive the changes and reforms needed within the Met Police in order to restore public trust and confidence, tackle disproportionality in the use of certain police powers, and improve the level of service Londoners receive in their communities. The most recent data from City Hall shows that public trust in the police has hit record lows, with only 51 per cent of Londoners saying they think the police is doing a good job locally. This is the lowest level ever recorded, as measured by the Public Attitude Survey [1]. In the new plan, Sadiq sets out a comprehensive range of measures to address this critical issue. He will work with the next Commissioner to drive the cultural change and reforms needed so that the trust and confidence of all Londoners in the Met Police can be restored. He will also work to further improve neighbourhood policing – ensuring that the Met and partners are adequately resourced and focused on tackling the neighbourhood crimes and anti-social behaviour that concern communities.
- Improving support for victims of crime remains a core priority for the Mayor, and the new plan builds on the concerted efforts and record investment already made to help ensure victims and survivors get justice and can access high quality services to help them recover. As part of this work, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime has today published the biggest ever review of victims services in London in order to identify areas for improvement and to deliver the best possible support.
- The police and partner agencies play a vital role in protecting Londoners of all ages from a wide range of risks and harms in the community, at home and online. The new plan sets out a wide range of commitments to tackle the criminal exploitation of adults and young people by protecting those at risk from coming to harm, supporting young people in the justice system and improving Londoners’ safety from online harms such as fraud.
The Mayor will also be producing a refreshed strategy for tackling all forms of violence against women and girls. This will sit alongside his Police and Crime Plan. The updated strategy is due to be published in the coming weeks and follows the Mayor’s new campaign launched this month, which focuses on addressing misogynistic attitudes and behaviours and encouraging men to challenge sexism and misogyny whenever they see it.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Tackling crime and making London safer is my number one priority. Thanks to our relentless efforts over recent years and record investment from City Hall, violent crime continues to fall. But there’s still much more to do to prevent violence and to stop the terrible loss of young lives in our city.
“My new Police and Crime Plan outlines how I will continue to be both tough on crime and tough on the complex causes of crime, taking the action needed to make our city safer and to ensure victims of crime are supported.
“We have a long-standing tradition in this country of policing by consent. But a series of deeply concerning incidents have seriously damaged public trust and confidence in our police. When trust is eroded, it makes it harder to tackle crime, with victims failing to report crime and witnesses discouraged from coming forward when they see criminal activity. That’s why my plan is also focused on ensuring the Met and the next Commissioner urgently make the changes and reforms necessary to rebuild trust and confidence with Londoners.
“As Mayor, I’m determined to ensure that we restore trust in the police and that we continue to build on the progress we have made in tackling violent crime across our city.”
Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Cressida Dick, said: “The role of Commissioner is to lead the Metropolitan Police Service in keeping Londoners safe. The Met is operationally independent but gives due regard to the Mayor’s Police and Crime Plan for the provision of policing in London.
“Over the course of the last Plan, the men and women of the Met have worked hard to keep London safe. Last year compared to before the pandemic, murders were down by 13%, knife crime with injury was down 20%, and the number of young people being stabbed was down 27%. Met officers seized almost two thirds of the guns seized nationally and gun crime was down 35%. From 2018 we have delivered sustained reductions in violent crime following many years of increases.
“We reintroduced dedicated ward officers with PCSOs in all 629 wards to help us to connect further with neighbourhoods and tackle local problems. We are boosting local presence with Town Centre Teams in areas where they are needed most. Our Predatory Offender Units have arrested thousands of high harm offenders who pose a risk to vulnerable adults or children. And officers have continued to bear down on County Lines, gangs, drug dealers and organised crime - while safeguarding those who the criminals exploit.”
Cllr Jas Athwal, London Councils’ Executive member for Crime and Public Protection, said: “London needs a police service that is fair, trusted, diverse and effective. We welcome the new Plan’s expectations on radically improving the Metropolitan Police’s culture and practices to urgently build back trust and confidence, particularly among women and ethnic minority communities.
“London boroughs are a key partner of the Metropolitan Police when it comes to cracking down on crime and I welcome improvements to collaborative working and the Basic Command Unit (BCU) structure.
“Reducing and preventing violence is a top priority for boroughs right across London, especially tackling violence against women and girls, and it is positive to see this reflected in the Plan. An increased emphasis on understanding and tackling the underlying causes of drug-related crime - which can have a devastating impact on communities – is also promising.”
Claire Waxman, London’s Independent Victim Commissioner said: “I strongly welcome the Mayor’s new Police & Crime Plan, which rightly prioritises the rights and needs of victims. It is now more important than ever that victims receive the right treatment and can easily access effective support, to help them navigate the complex justice system and ensure they can make informed decisions.
“I am also pleased to see clear acknowledgement that public trust and confidence have been damaged and urgently need to be rebuilt. It is crucial for the individual wellbeing and protection of victims and for wider public safety that victims feel able to come forward to report and the Mayor’s new Police & Crime Plan will help us achieve this in London.” Photo by cliff1066, Wikimedia commons.